The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-10-21
n PUsLIc LANDS
Synopsis of the Annual Keeper, ~
the Commissioner OF me Se"e
al Land office.
Fraudulent Land Entries ano ha"'
road Lands Come In for a very
Large Share of Attention

AnO laws v VA IL.
fde settler. the prevention OF fraud the
snnnression OF land monopoly, the recoV'
ery Of public lands illegally seized or dom-
inated or the preservation OF the puollC
donna in for actual inhabitancy by the peo-
MA ~ the country. has been steadily main
tanned during the last year and mas mel
with the approved OF all honest ana lava
Jiding citizens, especial! from seLtIsrs seeA-
ing actualho on publiclands. IhaVeno
word to recall which has hitherto oeeh W.
tered touching tho aggravated mlsappro'
nriations TO which public lands have been
subiected through ;mproVident laws and
inefficient methods, and TO which they are
still exposed under the present wasteiul
and fraud inspiring systems OF diS-
posal. To prevent the esPo
ment and unlawful acquisition OF public
domain and to restore to the people whose
heritage it is land fraudulently obtained,
have been objects constantly IN view, ana
there is no regret to express or apology TO
offer that efforts to accomplish that Pur-
nose have aroused the hostility OF a class
OF meu with whose interests they have
been in conflict. The operations OF the
past wear have been, as previously, con,
Quoted under the encouragement OF
inadequate appropriations; but with
the limited means at my disposal re-
suits nave been achieved that
confirm the earlier statements OF the vast
mesa Of this field OF reform, the confines g.
which only have been explored. The fol
lowing statement shows the amount OF
public land restored to the public domain
since March 4, 1885, and the amount now
pending action for recovery under recon-
mendations from this Office: Restored to
public domain within railroad limits, s.
958, 177. Area within railroad indemnity
limits, 81, 323, 900 Private land claims,
$4,000. Fraudulent entries and CEN
celed, 400, 900. Invalid swamp and
other state selections Cancelled, $685.
7O4. Total restored to the public
domain, 81, S24, 481. Recovery OF lands
within railroad limits recommended and
pending for review OF secretary's decision,
u. 300. Suits recommended for recovery
oil lands within railroad limits, 2,OS5.
Land adjudged by COMMISSIONS to be sub.
ject to recovery under the adjustment vi
railroad grants so far as such adjustments
nave been completed, 2,S97,S 500. Recon-
mendations made to congress to reject
private land claims hitherto reported ia
vorably, 4, 732.479. Surveys ordered re-
Quoting areas OF private land claims, 629,-
500. Suits to vacate private land patents,
632, 255. Tot&A. 9,499.49O.
or public surveys in the various states
and territories the commissioner says:
Dakota-Ths only survey contracts
made during the year were Of lands for al
lotment to Indians within the Lower
Brule reservation. Forty towns were sur
veyed under contract OF former years.
There have been many applications by
settlers for surveys in Dakato, but in
view OF the limited appropriations the
sum OF SIS, 600 only could be apportioned
to that district for the current fiscal year.
M~ontana-The progress in office work
on agricultural surveys was small, in con-
sequence OF the totally insufficient appro-
priations for clerk hire for 1887. During
the year 1885 contracts wero let amount
ing to $23, $50 for surveys OF public lands;
none OF the work was returned during the
year ending 1886, but in several deputies
made returns, the principal portion OF
which remains unexamined for want OF
clerical force. The surveyor declined to
make any recommendation as to further
surveys in his district, believing it
necessary that provision be made for
the Office work on surveys already con-
tracted for before entering upon addition
al surveys. Important surveys in this
territory for use in suits in the courts in
Volving a pecuniary interest to the govern
ment OF upward 81, 900, 600 could not be
contracted Tor st the rates allowed by
the present appropriation acts OF con
gress.
He makes this recommendation:
The surveyor general s~trenuoGSi.y urges
that congress should pass a statute OF
limitation fixing q time within
which new claims shall be filed OF there
after required. Such recommendation
has for several years been made by this
office, and / renew it as the first step re-
quisite to q settlement of such claims. i
also urge, as a matter OF the highest pub
lie Importance, that congress take up the
cases re. examined and reported by the sur
veyor general and dispose OF the same in
the light OF the Investigations that have
been made, or remit all pending and accru-
ing cases to this Office and department for
final action.
SWAMP Ian CLAIMS.
or swamp land claims the report says:
The claims presented under the act Of
congress relating to swamp and overflow.
cd lands have reached the enormous
amount OF n, 407, 273 acres, and patents
have been issued for Sc. 743, 73J acres, al
though the provisions Of the grant have
only been extended to fifteen Of the public
land states and do not apply to land in
the territories. In Minnesota the field
notes Of the public surveys have been
adopted as the basis or adjustment oil
the claims OF the state to swamp lands.
~ nlVl III WIS 1ill0 Nlu
information received from other sources
show that many returns OF surveys, es.
pecially in the northeastern part OF the
state have been falsely and ~corruptly
made in the interests OF railroad and 9TH
err corporations baying grants Of swamp
lands from the state or OF persons claim
ing to nave purchased such lands from the
state and that many tracts valuable for
agricultural or ior timber or ore and not
in any sense swamp or overfiowed lands,
have been i%rauduiently returned as being
OF that character. A rigid investigation
Of these claims by competent agents hae
now been instituted.
TIL report says: One thousand and
eleven cases Of de%predations or trespass
have been reported upon. involving a val
ne in timber and The product therco'
amounting to $6. Ids, 935.S6 recoverable
to the United States. The total amount
actually recovered to the government dur
ing the last year by Judgment files, sales o
timber and compromises SO far. on recOrC
n this Office is SIPS, 642,09 being $b3.
42.O In excess az Tho ~ fioe